On August 11th at 3am Shaleen woke me up in bed with some contraction pains. Nothing too bad, but as I timed them, I noticed they were between 4-6 minutes apart. I phoned the doctor, who said to go to the hospital, and then I phoned my friend Abby. Abby is one of my past bride clients who has grown as a friend over time. Since her wedding she has become a photographer herself specializing in birth photography. I was so blessed to have Abby in town that week since this is not where she lives. Abby met us at Baptist Hospital with camera in hand at 3:30 am. What a trooper!

This birth went by so much faster than our last one that by the time we got to the hospital Shaleen was 6 cm dilated already. By the time we went through triage and into a room the nurse said she was too far along for an epidural, YIKES! I was kind of happy about that because I knew she could do it without the drugs and I knew that deep down she would be happy that she did it by herself. I know it sounds easy for a guy to say, but my wife is a fighter. The whole process including baby took 3 hours at the hospital which was amazing! Here are the pics from Abby with her permission.

Shaleen had a playlist for birthing on the iPod. Being a huge Ben Folds Five fan, “Gracie” played.

I think this picture is amazing. Anyone who has been through this experience can identify with this moment.

She held my pinky. So sweet!

Abby left after these pictures and we were so blessed to have her. Great job Abby! The next set of pictures were taken by me throughout the first couple of days.

Abby’s website: www.abigailtodd.com

Our happy family.

We started at the kickball field where they first met and made our way around Coconut Grove taking pictures and having a good time.

I never show pictures on the back of the camera because it can change the dynamic of the shoot very quickly, this time however I wanted Michelle and Sergio to see this shot for fun so I wanted to start with it.

Sergio wanted to do a shot where he would jump like a leprechaun who found gold. I had to make it rocking though by having Michelle diva it up in the front. Hilarious!

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Michelle, I’m sorry that you missed the Lebron James speech during our shoot but I’m sure the pictures will make up for it

Germany beat Argentina in Soccer 4-0.
The forecast for rain in Miami was 100%.
The photographer’s car (me) was crashed into.
The forecast for love? 100%

Sorry, super cheesy, but kind of funny. Gigi and Antony are one awesome, laid back couple. I visited both their rooms while getting ready and they were both smiling, relaxed, just having a good time with their friends. Don’t get me wrong, they were both really excited to be getting married, but there were no signs of nervousness at all. The most telling part of this situation is that it was pouring rain outside and it didn’t stop all day. Many brides would be having a heart attack at that moment but I have to commend Gigi and Antony for not being phased one bit.

For those of you worried about my car, it was no biggie, only the side got smashed in a bit but the drivers were ok. Too bad the insurance won’t call it a total loss because I wanted to buy a new car We didn’t miss one second from the wedding though. I take the responsibility of capturing someone’s memories very seriously and I left my assistant to take care of the car and police situation while I stayed with Gigi and Antony the whole time.

Here are some from the getting ready.

The ceremony took place at St. Francis de Sales Catholic Church in South Beach Miami.

These are some portraits at Douglas Entrance where the reception took place.

The party got kicked off by DJ Ubi right away and kept going the whole night.

This was seriously one of the funniest moments I’ve ever seen at a wedding. I am still cracking up. The boy, Gigi’s younger brother, is the one who caught the garter so of course it was his duty to place that garter on the lady who caught the bouquet. The boy really did not want to do this, but the pressure of the adult men in the wedding was too much. Talk about peer pressure. Poor kid. It was hilarious though.

Gigi and Antony you guys rock.

Tyler and his dad getting ready.

Just look at this stud…I want to marry him!

Ashley and Tyler opted to do a first look and I am so glad they did. I am almost teary eyed just watching this again. Tyler waited in a private area of the country club where they would not be bothered. I can almost feel his palms sweating looking at these images. If you are considering a first look for your wedding just let this series convince you of the emotional impact that this private moment has.

We took advantage of the first look to do portraits before the guests arrived.

The event took place at the Thornblade Country Club in Greer, South Carolina. The father of the bride taking a last look as he hands Ashley to her new husband.

Ashley and Tyler, much love to you both and enjoy the images.

How cool is their Wrangler? Jeep should pay us for this shoot.

Check out the sweet rubber boots!

Here they are doing what they do best, fishing and wedding planning.

Karen and Rich, thank you for letting me shoot at a new place and introducing me to the wonderful side of the Everglades! Looking forward to the wedding.

Jeff and Jen are the kindest, most wonderful people you could ever meet - and we are lucky to have them as friends. So in return for such wonderful friendship - two pregnant women, one 15-month old, and two men dragged themselves out into the heat to shoot these pictures! Jen was a real trooper - much tougher than me - as she spent about 30 minutes outside in the horrible heat getting bitten by sand fleas. I will admit that after about 5 minutes I retreated to the car with Caleb and let everyone else take part in the shoot. I’m a horrible assistant now - no wonder Alex replaced me after we started having kids.

Jeff and Jen have this AWESOME 1963 Rambler that belonged to Jen’s Gramps.  The car and Gramps are both awesome.  I’m sure the family will be thrilled to see it used for such an honorable purpose!  I love the calmness and color of these shots.

I love this shot…

Thank you friends for letting us shoot these pictures with you - Alex and I have nothing but love for you - and cannot wait to meet Micah!  Happy Early Father’s Day - Jeff!!

They both got ready at Coconut Grove’s Sonesta Hotel which is where I met them.

The ceremony took place at Miami’s St. Hugh’s Catholic Church in Coconut Grove. St. Hugh’s gorgeous stained glass windows and architecture photographs beautifully.

Natalie and Manny wanted contemporary portraits in the Coconut Grove area. Meilan Limos were glad to drive us to a cool spot on the way for a quick drink and some pictures before getting to the reception.

The decorations at the Sonesta Hotel in Coconut Grove, Miami.

Manny and Natalie being the true Cubans that they are, of course had a cigar roller, Alejandro Marquina, rolling fresh cigars for the guests. It was a beautiful night for a cigar so the bride and groom quickly joined the group.

Natalie and Manny, enjoy your long trip in Europe and I have your album design ready when you get back.

Antony, like many grooms out there, HATES taking pictures so I did my best to make the session feel relaxed and easy going so that we could all feel like we were hanging out as opposed to taking *dreaded* pictures. I think we succeeded in having a good time while getting images they can be proud of. Gigi wanted a variety to her pictures to include urban and beach shots.

Antony and Gigi I look forward to your big day in just a few weeks!

So when Abercrombie & Fitch contacted me to shoot this ad…no, no, no. This is not an Abercrombie ad, this is just a ridiculously hot looking couple from South Carolina and they happen to be some of the coolest people around too. But Abercrombie if you are looking at this I am available to do some shooting if Bruce Weber isn’t available at his usual $50,000 a day rate.

Ashley and Tyler have been friends for years. Not only that but their respective families have been friends for years. They have shared yearly vacations together as families and never realized that their future husband/wife was there all along! I don’t know how they didn’t notice since they are both so awesome. I flew with Shaleen to Greenville South Carolina to do bridal portraits for Ashley and do some engagement pictures as well. It felt so relaxing to work with these two that it really was a blast. Getting to shoot some outside of Miami was also a nice change of scenery and a break from the usual Miami spots. A big thank you to Ashley’s brother Austin for driving me all around Greenville looking for farms, tractors, dilapidated buildings, waterfalls, etc and a big thank you to Ashley’s parents for letting us crash in the basement of their gorgeous house.

Okay, enough talkie, talkie. This is how engagements are done in the country.

Ashley and Tyler I can’t wait for your wedding in a few weeks. Its going to be so much fun!